On the brink...

Well, we've almost arrived. Thanksgiving is just 2 days away. Can we make it?

This week we surprisingly busy. I was assuming that these few days before Thanksgiving would be slow but boy was I wrong! Everyone seems to want to get their holiday orders in before the holiday so we've been slammed the past 2 days. I mean, I love it..because I need that commission for Christmas prezzies! :)

Speaking of which..I have barely even started! I have my sister figured out (and I won't release the details in the event she reads this...but she's gonna love it!) and I've got a few ideas for Steve...but otherwise, I'm completely empty handed. And have no idea what to get for the rest of the fam. Everyone should have Pinterest so I could stalk their boards to figure out what to get them! Haha. I actually created a board to give Steve some direction..to be honest, I had a hard time thinking of things to put on there! But I did figure some things out if you wanna peak... HERE

I am SO SO SO SO excited about this break. We are going to be all over the place seeing all of our family, but it will be worth it! Tomorrow night Steve and I are going over to my dad's house to have dinner with him and Nancy, and my stepbro and his gf are coming over, too. We're going to eat italian and I'm thinking about making a festive drink--like pumpkin pie martinis or something of the like off pinterest. We will probably just hang out, play games and catch up. THEN Thursday morning--TURKEY DAY we will go over to his parents' house to spend the day with them and his brother, sister-in-law, and niece and nephew are coming in town from Birmingham. I'm looking forward to seeing all of them since we haven't seen them since their wedding in August! Then Friday, bright and early we will be jumping in the car (with Harls--say a prayer!) to head up to Louisville, KY to see my mom's fam. I am looking forward to Steve meeting all of them--he's met poppy before, but this will be his first time meeting my aunt, uncles, and cousins.

Tonight I'm going to squeeze in one more workout before we all eat like dumpsters for the new few days...and when we get back from break, it will be time to start the pink drink! woo!

Enjoy the holiday, lovebugs!

Thanksgiving...or Bust!

Why is the week before a holiday such a draggggggg?

This time next week I will be:
A. Sleeping in
B. Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
C. Eating so many carbs I am already regretting it now

BRING IT ON! Today at work we're having a potlock...I've already spotted 2 HUGE crockpots full of mac and cheese, and another full of mashed potatoes. I'm going to exude so much self discipline it's probably going to annoy Heather and Michael (my work besties--why always give me a hard time about counting calories!!)

It's worth it though..Mexico in a few months! And yesterday a wonderful thing happened...my friend Jennavieve (that still works at Apex) HIT TRIP! So we will get to play together in Mexico--for FREE! Love it! I am so excited and proud of her! She went on trip before as a recruiter but this year, she made it as an account manager! Woohoo!

Tonight I'm having a date night with my friend Liz--I'm looking forward to some girl time with her! We're going to try this new restaurant in Town Brookhaven called "Shucks"...oysters! Yum!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far...finish this week strong, because next week is going to be a slow week....I'm not sure why they are even making us come into work Monday and Tuesday?!

Cold Front

Well we made it to WEDNESDAY! Which is reason enough for me to celebrate...

Can we please talk about how COLD it is here in Atlanta? I was talking to one of my vendors in PA and she said they were just a few degrees colder than us!! Although, she got snow earlier this week...if I'm gonna have cold, I might as well have SNOW?! Amiright? :)

So my window in my bedroom doesn't close all the way. My landlord's reaction when I called to request a maintenance appointment? "Sarah, these buildings are 88 years old. My recommendation is to ducktape around the windows where you feel a draft coming in." Um, WHAT? Man needs to understand I can't live this way!! And our power bill is going to skyrocket! So annoying. Then, this morning, my roommate closed her door...then couldn't open it. Like the knob got stock and it won't even turn now. Our place is falling apart. And my measley little tool kit isn't going to be able to fix these things. So, I'm sure you're wondering, but I most certainly did duck tape my window last night because I knew this cold air was coming....and, I thought it worked but then again I may have just convinced myself it worked so I could sleep better. I probably wouldn't have made it through the night if it weren't for the electric blanket Harleigh and I cuddled up into!

I am going to try to go to Zumba tonight at the Brookhaven gym, but traffic gets so backed up IDK if I will make it to the 7pm class.... And if there's anything I know about the Brookhaven location, you can't get any freakin' cardio equipment until like 7:30. You honestly have to stand around and wait for someone to wrap up their workout. Every. Single. Time. I usually go to Urban Active's old location if I wanna do any cardio or weights bc there tend to be less people and/or more machines open.

Does anyone have any recipes they want to share that are a) healthy and b) made in a crockpot? It is certainly time to start putting that thing to work!

Weekend Recap

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I have been struggling all day at work today...I hope that it's just exhaustion from such a great couple of days and not any sort of sickness creeping up on me. :x

Friday night, my new work friend Michael and I totally fan girled out. Haha. Our friend Rachael's boyfriend is super cool and in a band...and a GOOD band at that! (Check them out) They played at Vinyl which is a great venue to get up close to whatever band you are going to see. They played a FANTASTIC show and we took this fab pic afterwards:

Aren't we presh?

Saturday (due to my over consumption on Friday) I was pretty worthless. Steve and I watched football all day (like any other Saturday, I guess) and then we had SUPPER CLUB! How perfect that a day I am in dire need of some home cooking, we have supper club. Lucky me! :) In case I haven't mentioned it before, Steve and I are in a supper club where every second Saturday of the month, some friends hosts dinner for the rest of the group. Last month Steve and I hosted, and we did an Oktoberfest theme. We made Bavarian pretzels with mustard and beer cheese dips, as well as some delicious bratwurst that Steve made. I hate to brag (no, not really--I love to brag on him) but Steve is a wonderful cook--everyone loved our meal! This week, Scott and Beth hosted and their theme was Chilistravaganza. Let me just say that I WILL be making Beth's version of white chicken chili very soon. It was by far my favorite of the selection. They also had a turkey southwest style chili and your traditional beef chili. They even...served it in bread bowls. No, no...I didn't partake. Steve is keeping me accountable on this low-carb diet. But how cool is that? Bread bowls with different kinds of chili? I was loving it. We all hung out and watched the Alabama game with full bellies, but you better believe we had dessert at half-time. Peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream was the PERFECT finisher. (I pretended that Beth baked all of the carbs out of that--it was delicious!) Next month our supper club is going out for dinner...plans TBD, but I am already looking forward to it!

Sunday morning I hung out with the crawlers at church (I missed them last week!) and then went to the 11:00 am service. It was a really good message--Steve and I had some good conversation following the message. I think we all have those things that we justify in our minds, thinking "I just want to do this and even though it may not be the "right thing" to someone else, it's okay by me"...as long as no one gets hurt. It's human, but it was good to hear Andy call us out on this so we can be more aware and recognize that decisions we make effect not only us, but the people around us, and the people that love us.

After church, Steve and I met his parents at Houston's where I thoroughly enjoyed their veggie burger...seriously, have ya'll ever had it? It's delicious. After we ate, we headed to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center...HOLY COW! That place is cool! I know it's surprising considering the amount of time I spend at concerts, but I had never been to Cobb Energy until last night. It's a very cool venue. The reason we were there was to see the fabulous...

The show was wonderful. Even Steve enjoyed it. He said "it's just one of those things you gotta see, right?" haha that was his way of saying it was good. He liked this part:

I think my favorite part was at the end when they were wearing the outfits covered in Swarovski crystals...BEAUTIFUL! It was a wonderful show that really put me in the Christmas spirit! When is an acceptable time to start decorating? I feel like I have this dilemma every year!

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend. Today I have been totally exhausted and I feel like I've been coughing a lot, so I'm going to go home and get some rest! Gotta get back in the gym tomorrow!

Take the time...

I'm baaaaaaack. (Be honest, you're a little surprised.)

Last night my sweet friend Maddie came over and we caught up and watched the CMAs and it was so wonderful! I love catching up with friends I haven't seen in a while :)

Can we talk about how SKINNY Tim McGraw and Miranda Lambert have gotten? I gotta catch up! Holy cow..they've wittled away! And Carrie's legs...always flawless.

PS I barely made it through zumba Tuesday night...this is why I HAVE to go. New routines, lost my coordination skills and all sorts of behind...haha. But it was fun, a good work out, and you never regret that! There was a new squats routine to that Lorde song--LOVED it! "gold teeth, grey goose, trippin' in the bathroom..." cmon it's catchy.

While not an update of much substance, let's take it easy...I'm slowing myself back into the habit. :)

And just because this made my day, some love from a customer:

Happy Tuesday, loves! xo

She LIVES!

So I am looking forward to getting back into my groove of blogging. This new job took so much energy...I just can't even imagine blogging at the end of the day. With that being said, I've neglected to give myself much "me" time lately because other things just kept coming up and I wanted to see my friends and sometimes you just get caught up in life, ya know? But I know that I love writing and just making myself slow down.

This job is basically non-stop from 9-6pm. I will not look at my phone ONCE--which is definitely a change of pace, but I love it. Days fly by and at night I am either POOPED or I am so excited to spend time with my friends/Steve. It won't always be this way (I keep hearing that in December this place slows down a lot) but for now it's definitely been keeping me busy.

It's ALSO been keeping me out of the gym. I know, I know. No excuses. And---NO MORE. I am getting back into my morning routine because a) I always love it when I do and b) because this girl is going to Mexico in March and refuses to look....well, like I do now. Let's just leave it at that. :)

So, be prepared to hold me accountable. You'll see more blog posts -- meaning I'm giving myself me time. And you'll hear about my workout regimen and the lack of calories I'll be consuming from now on. (Hopefully this doesn't lead to hangry posts, but I can't make any promises! haha)

Missed ya much!

Wine Tour in North GA

Phew. Thank goodness for having today off, because this weekend was full of wonderfulness all around. I am so thankful for this morning and the opportunity to reflect on the weekend.

Friday was my last day at Apex, so after work we grabbed some drinks at the Tin Lizzy's nearby. It was fun to spend that time with those folks. I am certain that Apex was in God's plan for me all along. It was the job I needed to get me in Atlanta and out of the suburbs, it was my very first professional job, and it brought me some of the greatest friends (and boyfriend!) a girl could ask for. I am so thankful for the time I had at Apex, but it's time to follow this path and see where it goes!

For Steve and I's one year anniversary back in July, Steve gave me a weekend up in North Georgia touring the wineries. After some recommendations from friends, I picked decided that we go to the top three: Frogtown, Montaluce, and Wolf Mountain. So, we got up early and had breakfast at Cracker Barrel; Don't judge! haha. The hashbrown casserole was just what we needed before consuming so many wines! We zoomed up 400 and made it to our first winery, Frogtown, right around 11am.

We seemed to have this place to ourselves, which was very obvious in the grand entry way. We approached the big beautiful wooden bar, and we waited for one couple to finish their tasting. The sommelier served us our white/red mixed flight soon after our arrival, but it was apparent she was the only one working at that point. She was very knowledgeable about the vineyard and spoke of the winemaker as if they were friends--which I loved. It was the vineyard with the most awards and had an overall humble experience. The views were amazing and the weather was perfect to sit out on the porch and drink a glass of the favorite of the flight. Steve's was the Chard and mine, of course, was a red blend called "Applause FSO" (and yes, we brought home a bottle!). Overall, we enjoyed sitting out on the porch and taking in the views. It was a good first stop to ease us into our wine tour.

Our next stop was Wolf Mountain where I fell in love.

Although the front of the building seems small, once you step inside the building seems so much larger. From the moment we stepped in the door, there were people ready to help us. We walked through the dining area to go downstairs to the cellars. We walked up to the bar where there were about 8 gentlemen ready to serve us our flight. We went for the reserve flight since we were sharing and I feel like we made the right choice. They offered a lot of bubbles, which is fun but not my normal taste. They had a syrah brut which I thought was really interesting--and tasty! My favorite, hands down, was the Howling Red. Holy delicious. (Brought a bottle of that home as well!) It is a great blend of syrah and cab; a great full-bodied glass for steak night! We never had to wait for our next pour, as the guy was very attentive...even with college football on! The tasting room was big and had several tables around for people to linger and eat the bar fare. It was very inviting and the huge windows allowed us to take in the views--sans the rain. Unfortunately when we got to Wolf Mountain, the skies started to open up so we drank our wine while rain pounded at the windows. This didn't shake us, since there was ample wine and the most delicious tomato basil mozzarella spread I've ever tasted. And, as I mentioned before, they had a few TVs with the college football games on...we were content. :)

Once there was a break in the rain, Steve and I headed over to Montaluce--our final stop on the tour!

The cellars at this vineyard are downright gorgeous. It looks like freakin' France, for goodness sake. A little hoity-toity for me, but I can appreciate the beauty of the estate. The facility was as beautiful inside as it was outside, with wine bottle lit up behind the granite bar. They, too, offered an attentive staff that got us set up for our flight right away. There wasn't a lot of education provided beyond the simplest explanation of the wines. I wasn't exactly pushing for more details as not many of the wines blew my hair back. Out of the chosen flight, I did enjoy the "Super Georgian" but not enough to take home a bottle. They had these amazing manchego and prosciutto fritters Steve and I devoured. We did enjoy sitting in the dining area by the huge windows overlooking the vineyards. It was pretty quiet for a Saturday, but I think they stopped seating people in the dining area in preparation for a wedding..meaning, we had the room to ourselves for a precious 15 minutes. It was definitely a pretty venue and would be good for entertaining a group of girlfriends, but overall my favorite was Wolf Mountain.

There are so many smaller vineyards that we didn't get to this weekend, so I look forward to going back either with Steve or some fellow winos. After our tour of the wineries, we checked in at the cute B+B and started to get ready to head to dinner on the Dahlonega square.

We had reservations at the Corkscrew Cafe which was amazing. We sat out back where there was live music and a cozy porch area. The food was excellent. I had the chicken with the warm spinach salad--oh man, I hope to have that salad again. So delicious. Steve loved his rainbow trout but not his caeser salad--I definitely had the better salad. :) If you're ever in Dahlonega for dinner, please please please stop here for a bite. The service was great, the owner came out to greet us (calling himself the "highest paid dishwasher") and the food was awesome.

To wrap up the weekend, Steve and I went to the Grace Potter/Allman Brothers show last night at Verizon and it literally made my life. Not only am I mildly obsessed with Grace Potter and pray for an OUNCE of her talent, but the Allman Brothers--holy crap. I've been listening to the Allman Brothers all my life! For these two bands to play such an amazing show...it was the perfect ending to a wonderful weekend.

So blessed with such an amazing boyfriend I get to experience all of these things with! :)
#braggingonmyboo #imspoiledrotten

Hump Day Randoms

Currently thanking God for:
MY NEW JOB!
I will be starting my new job next week! I'll be an account coordinator with an opportunity for promotion within the first year! I'm really excited for something new, with a path for growth, and to remove the "work" layer from Steve and I's relationship. Yay for changes! I have really enjoyed the past 2 years at Apex and have made some great relationships (both professional and personal). I have met some of my best friends at Apex--including Steve! I have been able to build some skills that will help me in my next job and I'm so excited to get started next week!

"And so it was that she, having waited long and endured patiently realized and obtained what God had promised her."
HEB 6:15

Currently coveting:

Buy them for me at CWonder

Currently playing:

Katy Perry - "Roar" of course! I am so in love with her. #girlcrush

Currently looking forward to:

Steve and I's weekend at the Long Mountain Lodge! Are still ironing out the details of the trip, but I am looking forward to every single minute of it. We're going to go up there early on Saturday and start touring the wineries. We've been recommended a few: Monteluce, Frogtown and Wolf Mountain. I've been told they all have excellent views and the restaurant at Monteluce is supposed to be quite tastey. The chef has done his time in the Atlanta restaurant scene at several Buckhead Life venues. Hopefully we'll schedule ourselves just right to stop in for a bite. We're trying not to plan out every detail, because who knows what we will find when we get up there. We want to walk around downtown Dahlonega and check out the shops and everything. I am really looking forward to some special time with my boo thang! :)

Currently wishing for:
My dad to get the job he's been interviewing for! Hopefully a lucky streak for the fam this week! :)

Currently focusing on:
Getting back into my workout routine. These past 2 weeks I have totally fallen off. I think I only got 2 good workouts in...that's no way to stay healthy! So, tonight, some girls and I are going to get our Zumba on. Gotta love a full hour of cardio to blasting music!

Currently shopping for:
BABIES! My friend Meg is having a baby girl and we will find out what Victoria is having next weekend! I can't wait to buy cute stuff for these kiddos to wear. Etsy has so much of EVERYTHING and it's all so precious! Makes me wish I could sew. But, not enough for me to invest in a sewing machine and sit down to actually learn! Ain't nobody got time for that!

Finish the week strong, people!

Short hair, don't care

My spa day last Saturday was absolutely wonderful. Spa Sydell worked out all the kinks in my back and I was so relaxed leaving there. It was pretty obvious to my massage therapist which side I wore my purse on. ouch. I felt so much better after leaving there, though. I swear never to go that long without a massage ever again!

After the spa, I grabbed a smoothie from Robeks (P.S. I love you Strawnana) and headed over to Nail Talk & Tan to continue the self-pampering. Out of respect for the last stretch of summer, I sprang for a color with a bit orange-r hue. It looks fab, if I do say so myself! (OPI Tasmanian Devil Made Me Do It)

Please disregard my man-hands; I have this terrible habit of biting my nails. I know, I know...it's bad. Working on it, people! High stress levels lately!

After my mani/pedi sesh, I headed over to Aveda. It was time to say "adios, ombre"..little did I know it'd be saying bye-bye to 5 inches of my precious hair! During the consultation I explained I had booked a cut and color because with the amount of hair I was wanting to cut off I figured it wouldn't cut out all the ombre. They talked me into just getting a cut, saying there would hardly be any ombre left--that it would just look like it was "sun-kissed". Ha, yeah right. After they chopped off 5 inches there was still a large heaping of blonde on the ends. Not cute. So then they had to go back and foil sections of my hair back there to cover it up. Holy moly, my butt was tingling from sitting in that chair so long!

So now, I have short hair. There was a 2 day long feeling of shock (pictured above), of which has worn off (sorta). I still can't believe they hacked off so much hair, but I'm gonna work it. I mean, that's the great thing about hair. It grows back.

Cheers to a day of pampering--every girls deserves a day to herself!

Too Blessed to be Stressed!

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
— Philippians 4:4-7

When I opened up my Jesus Calling this morning, I knew exactly what God wanted me to know today. While I am anxiously awaiting a call with a job offer, He wants me to stay calm and not let my eagerness turn into stress. I know that He will provide for me, and by remembering that I can avoid getting lost in those "bad days" and have peace in Him.

But we all know how hard that is. It is human, and furthermore such a female need to have control and organization. With my next step being such a big ? it is easy to get frustrated and down in the dumps when it truly seems out of control.

Please say prayers as I'm waiting to hear about the potential job. Either way, I will keep moving forward and find where He wants me to be!

Boots or Bust!

So last week in Atlanta was super freaky. We had temps in the low 70s...in the middle of August. Of course there were plenty of people complaining saying they weren't ready for it, but c'mon folks--we knew it wouldn't last long. Thanks, global warming. Personally, I loved it as it reminds me of football and tailgating and just getting cozy. Most of all, I loved the idea of NEW BOOTS!

I have not made any purchases as of yet, but I am absolutely kookoo over the first boot here. I love that fact that it's a dual tone riding boot that I can wear any day with any outfit. I've never purchased boots by Enzo but love their heels.

Enzo Angiolini Ellerby Boot

I tend to be a lover of black clothes with pops of color, so I swear by a good pair of black boots. These look like they'd be perfect for show at the Earl over some hot pants. Lovin' this look and feel like they'd be super hot paired with a black moto jacket that I've been lusting over...

Frye Carson Tab Tall

I'm still toying with the idea of booties. I'm not sure how I feel about how they look on me. They are plastered all over the place and are trending this fall, but if it doesn't look good on me then it's not happening folks. So, while browsing, I saw a few that I liked. TBD if they will be purchased, but I like the look of the two below.

Calvin Klein Bethany

Frye Regina Wedge

So there ya have it folks. Although many weeks in advance, the little tease of fall we had last week got me super excited about purchasing some new kicks. Happy shoppingggggg! :)

Hump Day Random Thoughts

Mike. Mike. Mike. Mike. Guess what today is?

Since I'm still wading through pages upon pages of boots for fall 2013, my intended post is not ready for print. Therefore, hump day randoms will have to do. :)

Katy Perry's new single, "Roar"
Are you kidding me? Does this woman ever sleep? Her genious for poppy songs that make me feel 20 years old again never disappoints. Katy--you are my bubblegum pop princess. /end obsession here

Orange is the New Black
I literally cannot STOP with this show. Netflix, you are sucking up all my free time. I have literally gone home everyday this week to watch an episode (thanks for canceling on me, clients!). THEN a great thing happened today. Halfway through my Fresh Market wrap, I realized I could watch it FROM MY PHONE. Cue frantic texts asking for logins. Who is my favorite character? Ah, how does one decide? I adore the friendship between Pussey and Taystee, and think the extreme character of Pennsatucky is hilarious. I was hoping to see more of Yoga Jones, but was told by my roommate that I will find out her story later in the season. Yeah, since my roomie doesn't start student teaching until next week, she had a marathon--RUDE!!) I must say thank you, Buzzfeed, for making me fall even more in love with the cast. #newvice

Boys Golf Weekend
Steve is heading out of town this weekend for his annual golf trip with a few buddies. They call it the "Armadillo Open" for reasons beyond me, but as the supportive and loving girlfriend that I am, I made them some koozies. Now they're legit.

Spa-ahhhhh Day
...so with Steve being gone, I scheduled a massage at Spa Sydell on Saturday. I scored it on Groupon, and I love getting a good deal. While the massage alone would be wonderful, I took it one step further and booked an afternoon appointment at Aveda to get my hair done. It's been a good, long run ombre hair...but it's time for a change. And these split ends are BEGGING for some attention. #hurrdid

*NSYNC reuniting
Say it out loud, ladies. Actually, SCREAM it out loud (like I have been). Holy cow, Sunday night cannot come soon enough. *NSYNC is reuniting to perform at the VMAs on Sunday night. JT is getting some sort of award (shocking) so the whole crew is getting together to throw down. I. Can't. Wait.

-bye, bye, bye!-

Six Word Memoirs

Perhaps I'm a little behind on this whole movement, but today my friend Maggie shared with me such a cool idea that I could't wait to share it here.

SIX WORD MEMOIRS

This project was headed by Smith Magazine who adopted the idea from Hemingway. Story goes he was challenged to write a memoir in six short words. Hemingway's response was "Baby shoes: for sale, never worn." So, the challenge Smith developed was to come up with a six word memoir to describe a story. It can be all encompassing, explaining briefly your overall life experience OR it can describe a specific life event, issue, struggle, etc. It is writing after all...you have the freedom to create your own perspective! It's so cool to hear the way friends describe themselves in 6 short words..I mean, that is taking Twitter to a whole new level--140 characters shortened to all but 6 words? For someone who struggles to make a long story short, I can hardly wrap my head around the idea. But alas, I was able to come up with one that I feel wholly describes every phase in my life.

"Hopeless wanderer, stumbles upon His grace."

We all have stories of our searching out truth in various facets of life, and regardless of what you find it is awesome to know you are surrounded by His grace. And I definitely stumble…or trip and fall into…His grace from time to time. I will be the first to admit my sin and also the first to admit that without His relentless love I would be nothing. I would be a complete and utter mess. Be it toxic relationships, bad decisions with money or betrayal of so-called friends; They all make us question life--question our purpose, our faith, ourselves. At the end of the day, it is my faith that has kept me moving forward and wearing a smile.

What would be your six word memoir?

Career Transition

I 100% believe that God has a plan for me, including my career. I just hope that I am doing my part in applying, interviewing and researching career paths.

I have been in flux for a few months now--knowing that my time at Apex is coming to an end as they've taken a different approach to customer service. At first I was told I had a grace period until the end of the year to find something else, but today they let me know I actually don't have that time. Cue freak out.

I don't want to just take a job in order to pay the bills--I feel like I'm too old for haphazard decisions like that. I don't want my resume to be all over the place--I want it to reflect the type of loyal, hard-working employee that I am. The hard part is figuring out what I want my next step to be. Obviously you take a step up, not down. Entry level jobs? I didn't just graduate college! I feel like it's still a tough market out there and I have been so defeated lately. How do you pull yourself out of a funk like that?

So I've really been entertaining this real estate idea in my head. It blends together all of the traits and skills I feel I've been building in the past 2 years at Apex: relationship building, attention to detail, organization, general business savvy, small project planning. I feel like all of these are important to become a successful real esate agent. It seems that everyone I have mentioned the idea to are gung-ho and encouraging me to go for it. After all, I am 25. This is the time to really dream big and take risks.

I am trying to stay positive and take this time as a blessing in disguise. While I am getting the boot a bit earlier than expected, it definitely helped that they have been gracious enough to keep me on the payroll while I have tried to figure out my next step. I still don't have an "end date" per se, but I have to really ramp up my search. I am meeting with a successful realtor out of Buckhead to get her advice and guidance on Monday, so I am hoping her insight will help me decide whether or not I'm going to take the plunge.

Prayers appreciated in this time of career transition!

Baby on the way!

My bestest friend in the whole wide world is PREGNANT!

Victoria and her husband, Dylan, have been friends of mine since high school. Due to Dylan's commitment to the Marines (ooh-rah!) they are living in Jacksonville, NC (Camp LeJuene). Victoria came down to Atlanta for visit, and on July 10 she shared with me the miracle that is BABY G! It was so perfect the way she shared the news with me, because she and I are your typical winos. We love spilling secrets over some pinot noir!

So, truth be told, I had a little inkling that something was going on..and had said prayers to God asking that she please, oh please be pregnant but had no such confirmation via phone. SO with that being said, I was excited to hang out..but when she immediately asked if I was ready to drink some wine I felt disheartened. Dangit! No baby yet. But lo and behold--that sneaky Victoria turns around with a big ol' wine glass decorated with the words:

AUNT SARAH'S SIPPY CUP

Oh my gosh! I was so freakin' excited, I couldn't help but cry. Even though I had thought about it and prayed about, there is nothing like that moment when you actually have that dream materialize and it becomes REAL.

This is such an exciting time in her and Dylan's lives, and I feel so lucky to be a part of it as "Aunt Sarah". I am going to spoil this kid to DEATH!

I am so loving that it has revived her blogging life, because she truly is such a wonderful writer. Follow along on her pregnancy journey--I'm sure it will be full of fun stories. She's got a way with words, that one. ;)

Needless to say, I've been looking around on Pinterest and trying to get ideas for the perfect baby shower. Anyone have any tips on where to get cute decor? I toyed with the idea of getting a Cricut, but that comes with a hefty price tag! Anybody have one I can borrow? :)

Wild on the Rocks - Otters and Old Fashioneds

Zoo Atlanta is marketing more and more to the young professional crowd in ATL. Steve and I went to check out their “Wild on the Rocks” event last Thursday, themed “Otters and Old-Fashioneds”.

At first, walking into the zoo after regular hours seemed odd--especially because most of the animals weren’t out for observation. Towards the back of the zoo we could hear a rumbling—the sound of folks chattering, music creeping through the trees and, as we got closer, the clanking of ice cubes being dropped into glasses.

The evening began with the otter presentation, which we weren’t able to see much of because of the limited viewing area. The zoo keeper (is that the appropriate term?) seemed very knowledgeable on the otter and was able to take questions from the crowd.

We grabbed a (very unreasonably priced) domestic beer and headed towards another open exhibit—the sun bear. Not so amusing, but cute to watch snooze. 

My favorite part of the evening—the orangutan exhibit! Oh man, were these guys fun to watch. The zookeeper shared with us some awesome facts about how smart they are! The big tree in the center of the exhibit is actually a huge computer that assists their studies on their cognitive behavior. The 3 year old, Remy, is said to be AS SMART as a 50 year old gorilla a few exhibits down!

As we were leaving, we were lucky enough to catch some elephants (my fave!) wander around their area. It was cool not having to wait for a front row view of one of my favorite creatures!

All in all, it was a cool way to spend the evening. The event in September is “Rhinos and Winos” so I invited some of the girls to attend with me—hopefully they will serve something OTHER than Cupcake wine (ew!)

Pedicure Pity Party

Sometimes the only thing a girl needs is a pedicure and a friend with a good ear you can bend.

Jackie and I met up for lunch at the Dunwoody Nail Talk and Tan so I could do just that. For the price, they are definitely my favorite spot for a quick mani/pedi.

I kid you not, I pick OPI's "Cajun Shrimp" EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Not on purpose, just because! Today I realize, that's my color. That's it. Finally. I have settled on a go-to. See how pretty?

Do you have any fave shades?

Pup-n-Cuts - A Review

Today, Harleigh had her first groomer's experience. In all her 22 months of living, she's only been bathed by the hands of her loving mother and had her nails done at the vet...so this was going to be an experience for sure.

Pup-n-Cuts, located only a mile from my house at 2573 Apple Valley Rd, was recommended to me by a friend so I took his word for it and booked her an appointment. They were able to get her in with a day's notice, so that was really convenient. Harleigh and I arrived at Pup-n-Cuts at 8:25 a.m. and I let Harleigh sniff around the yard.

From the outside, there's not much. Apparently they are having a hard time keeping grass alive in the front yard--doesn't have much curb appeal. Especially in such a lively growing area like Brookhaven, you'd expect a little more "oomph" from the street. When a member of the staff arrived at 8:40 (note 10 minutes after said appointment time/open for business) they mentioned something about wondering where the receptionist was. OK--strike one. I get that it's 10 minutes, but I was going in late to work to make sure I got there at 8:30 for her check-in time. Just made me feel like my time wasn't appreciated/respected. The inside (the lobby at least) seemed clean and well kept. As a new customer, I would have appreciated a tour but didn't have much time left to get to work. Inside, they didn't say much--just had me sign a form which they hurried me through to sign so I didn't get to read the whole thing. That was annoying since THEY were late to begin with, not me! Harleigh is a scaredy cat--especially of men. The two techs there were both men, so I knew she'd be hesitant to go back with them. Harls was on a pinch collar and the tech kept pulling it to get her to come to him. I didn't love that, so of course I intervened and tried to get her to warm up to him. I was able to walk her back and say bye. I felt like a mama dropping her kid off at pre-k or something (as I know that is happening in some schools today!).

She was done by lunch time, so I swung by to pick her up and she was of course just fine. She was smelling good and pretty as ever--although not looking very different. My receipt was a simple credit card receipt, nothing with the services performed. I couldn't tell you if they gave her a cut or not, but she sure did smell good and her nails were nice and trimmed! I would have enjoyed a cute little bandana that screams "I am cute and clean!" to share with you all here on the blog/insta/fb but they didn't do anything special like that. I guess I'm that customer that needs that extra bit to return, so I'll keep shopping around for a neighborhood groomer for my princess. Any recommendations fellow dog owners?

Surprise Sales...my demise

So it's 7:10 am this morning and I should have already showered and downed my first cup of joe, but I haven't. I'm paralyzed in my bed scrolling the kate spade surprise sale. And oh baby, did I find some beauts.

Cobble Hill Andee in affogato $189
drool. is that not beautiful? and the price is right! I need a camel-ish colored purse..and I think this will satiate my closet's craving. #yum

Grove Court Maise in shale $159
oh and a pretty grey piece, too! I love this structured bag--it screams "i'm not here to play, i'm here to close some business". amiright?

Kate Spade Fragment Pearl Studs $29
I just adore these little gems. I think I saw them around the same price at nordie's rack. but who cares? all of this, and only $5 shipping. cha-ching!

happy shopping! via katespade.com

Finally Friday!

The work week coming back from vacation is always SO hard. This week has seemed to drag on! Can I get an AMEN?!

Last night Steve and I accompanied his mom to dinner and a movie. We went to Davio's for dinner--delicious! I loved their reserve cabernet so try a glass if you ever dine with them. It will taste great with probably anything--his moma and I both order the chicken, but Steve got the braised ribs which literally melted off his fork. After dinner we went upstairs to AMC at Phipps to see "Restless Heart". Thank goodness for recliner chairs because that was a LONG movie! Probably 2 hr 15 min...and then add on 20 min of previews. LONG. But I will say, it was an interesting moving. My growing up in a Southern Baptist church and now being a part of a non-denominational congregation, it has been quite a learning experience growing in Steve and I's spiritual relationship. I am learning more about the Catholic faith at every mass, in every discussion we have, etc. I'm keeping an open-mind and open-heart to learn more about the faith in which he was raised.

So it's finally Friday and I'm so excited about my plans for the weekend! Tonight Steve and I are going to have some alone time wandering around Decatur. Some friends of ours highly recommended a farm-to-table restaurant called The Pinewood that I think we're going to check out. Do you have a favorite spot in Decatur we should check out tonight?

Black Bean Brownies

Yes, you read that right. Brownies--the most wonderful delectable sweet--made with ZERO flour and BLACK BEANS! And...they are yummy! I swear. Since I'm trying to eat healthier, I thought these brownies would be a good thing to keep in the fridge to curb those cravings from the real thing. In the end, it curbs the craving and I think they are quite yum--and the calories are mostly GOOD calories. Put that in your myfitnesspal and don't feel so bad about endulging.

Black Bean Brownies
Ingredients:
3/4 cup rinsed black beans
1 egg
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons almond butter (or peanut butter, if you prefer!)
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons almond milk (i did unsweetened, but you can go sweetened if you'd like--i just spared myself the calories!)
PREHEAT oven to 350.
BLEND together all of the ingredients well and pour into either lined cupcake tins or an 8 inch baking pan (like I did). Mine came out pretty thin, so next time I'll probably double up on this recipe or make mini brownies in a small cupcake pan.
BAKE for about 12 minutes in the 8 inch pan, about 18 or so minutes in a big cupcake tin. Just check them with a toothpick to make sure they're done!

The brownie pan allowed me to cut up into 12 individual brownies coming in at around 50 calories per bite. The mixture itself was around 600 calories, so your total calories will depend on how you divvy up the deliciousness. ENJOY!

1st Anniversary Date

Our trip to Destin was fabulous. It was uber relaxing and I was able to read "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris and brush up on my Taboo skills (ha!). Now, back to the grind!

Steve and I have been together a year. I can hardly believe it! Yet at the same time, it seems like it could be longer. Our relationship had developed so quickly that I feel like he is one of the few people in my life who really know and love and accept ALL of me. Like, seriously, even the scary stuff. He's one of my "people"--you know, like the Grey's anatomy reference. He can look at me and call me out for being a diva (which is rare--HA!) and can tell when I'm about to come undone before I even realize it. All of that being said, it's hard to believe it's only been a year and already we have that level of intimacy. I must say that God's really blessed me with a man like him. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. <3

Last night we decided to "celebrate" so we decided to cook a yummy (healthy!) dinner of salmon, corn on the cob, broccoli and a light salad. I really enjoy those nights were we can lounge on the couch and enjoy each other's company while eating the food we prepared together. (Okay, okay, so that may be an exaggeration. Anyone that knows us well, knows Steve does the cooking while I do the wine drinking and gabbing. I may slice and dice, but he does majority. Oops!)

After dinner we swapped gifts (I could hardly contain my excitement). Steve surprised me with a weekend in Dahlonega where we'll be drinking wine at the vineyards and staying at a cute B+B. (check it out)

I was a little obsessed with this wrapping paper. :)

I got Steve a bottle of American Spirit Whiskey (which I hear was pretty legit), a handsome catch-all from Pottery Barn and a watch box to match. He is a guy who loves his watches--most of which cost more than my Target timepiece. Ha! But he has a tendency of just throwing his wallet and watched on his nightstand--my mama taught me to take better care of my things! I thought these were all thoughtful and useful gifts. He seemed to like them!

It was a great night, simple and romantic. Just the way I like it. Cheers to many more moons with this fella. ;)

first post on blogger

bye bye tumblr. hello, blogger!

it was time to switch hosts, boys and girls. in an effort to have more of a conversation, i wanted a host where readers could leave comments (i'm hoping you'll participate--ha!). i'm still getting acquainted with blogger, so be patient with me. any help is appreciated!

see ya when i get back from destin!